6th Hauraki KIA KAHA Posted 24 March , 2005 Share Posted 24 March , 2005 Can anyone tell me if this an officers style Dogtag made of silver or just private purchase was it unusual not to have the service number on it. W.H.Lewis 2nd Welsh Bde R.F.A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeppoSapone Posted 24 March , 2005 Share Posted 24 March , 2005 Officers wore the same issue identity discs as anyone else. This item is a private purchase tag. Being such, there were no "rules" about what exactly was written on the tag. For example, you fairly often get a home address etc on private purchase tags. I could not see all of the tag that you posted. Not sure if it is my computer, or your posting. However, if it has no number on it it is more likely to have been an officers because, iirc, British officers didn't have numbers in WW1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6th Hauraki KIA KAHA Posted 24 March , 2005 Author Share Posted 24 March , 2005 Officers wore the same issue identity discs as anyone else. This item is a private purchase tag. Being such, there were no "rules" about what exactly was written on the tag. For example, you fairly often get a home address etc on private purchase tags. I could not see all of the tag that you posted. Not sure if it is my computer, or your posting. However, if it has no number on it it is more likely to have been an officers because, iirc, British officers didn't have numbers in WW1. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> What was the reason for British officers not having numbers in WW1?. New Zealand officers certainly did have ID numbers. thanks for the info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeppoSapone Posted 24 March , 2005 Share Posted 24 March , 2005 Lets see if I am right on this before we figure out a reason Can anyone confirm that British WW1 officers did not have numbers? I know more about WW2 than WW1. In WW2 they definately had numbers and, iirc, they had them "because of the experience of WW1" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrtle Posted 24 March , 2005 Share Posted 24 March , 2005 As far as I know officers didn't have service numbers in WW1. I noticed this post especially as my Grandfather was W.H.Lewis, Welsh and with the RFA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6th Hauraki KIA KAHA Posted 24 March , 2005 Author Share Posted 24 March , 2005 As far as I know officers didn't have service numbers in WW1. I noticed this post especially as my Grandfather was W.H.Lewis, Welsh and with the RFA. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> SO can anyone tell me Why they didnt they have numbers is there a reason? if it was your grandfathers would you be intrested in it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrtle Posted 24 March , 2005 Share Posted 24 March , 2005 If it was my grandfather's, I would be interested, but he was not an officer. He joined up underage and spent the war transporting munitions to the south coast. In fact he was probably with the RHA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myrtle Posted 24 March , 2005 Share Posted 24 March , 2005 By the way there only seem to be two officers named Lewis with initials W H on the mics. One is a 2nd/Lt and the other is a Captain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6th Hauraki KIA KAHA Posted 24 March , 2005 Author Share Posted 24 March , 2005 By the way there only seem to be two officers named Lewis with initials W H on the mics. One is a 2nd/Lt and the other is a Captain. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> One must have moved to New Zealand for it to arrive here thanks for the info any relation to you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Morgan Posted 24 March , 2005 Share Posted 24 March , 2005 It may seem a "cop-out" answer, but officers didn't have numbers because that was the way the Army had always done it. Numbers were for other ranks. It was a class thing. Oficers were gentlemen and gentlemen could always be identified by their names. After all, how many officers could there be called, "Lieutenant Sir Archibald Augustus Ava Campbell (Bart.)"? Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeppoSapone Posted 24 March , 2005 Share Posted 24 March , 2005 Interestingly the New Zealand soldier that I am researching had the number 12/2281 when a private. His identity disc is posted in this forum. He had the same number when he was killed as a Lt. See here: http://www.cwgc.org/cwgcinternet/casualty_...asualty=1463149 Is this an example of how egalitarian the New Zealanders were? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6th Hauraki KIA KAHA Posted 24 March , 2005 Author Share Posted 24 March , 2005 Is this an example of how egalitarian the New Zealanders were? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Heres something to make you laugh it did me thats why i brought it a few years back and your right New Zealander's have never had to suffer a class system and i am glad of it . In the new Zealand Military forces you became an Officer on your skills and intelligence not on what family you belonged to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilB Posted 24 March , 2005 Share Posted 24 March , 2005 Numbers were for other ranks. It was a class thing. Tom <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Numbers were for convicts too! Those would be the days of "Soldiers and dogs prohibited"! Of course, we still say "Officers and men" as if officers are a different breed! Certainly their hair still seems to grow differently! Phil B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6th Hauraki KIA KAHA Posted 25 March , 2005 Author Share Posted 25 March , 2005 Numbers were for convicts too! Sorry no convicts here try Australia lol and how does ther hair grow?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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